Mothers’ Perceptions of Their Control Over Their Children’S Diets

Simone Pettigrew, University of Western AustraliaMichele Roberts, University of Western Australia

Given current trends in childhood obesity it would appear that many parents are failing to engage in effective feeding practices. This paper explores the factors that mothers feel diminish their control over their children’s diets to provide insight into why obesity is a growing problem in Australia. Interviews and focus groups with 20 mothers of young children identified three factors the mothers perceived to interfere with their ability to control their children’s diets: the behaviours of other caregivers, the stresses involved in managing family life, and the wearing effects of pestering.